Many Mistakes
by Lucy Labrador
Summary: Shadow lands himself in a lot of trouble when he gets a lot of women pregnant. He was pretty sure he was infertile, but that turns out to be untrue.
1. Chapter 1

Two hedgehogs stood atop a grassy hill, overlooking a large city. Shadow was silent as usual as he stood by the big tree. But there was a different air about him. Sonic raised an eye ridge as he observed the fellow hedgehog. Shadow glanced at him, then continued looking out into the distance.

"You did it, didn't you?" Sonic asked. Shadow glared at the hedgehog, then smirked and rolled his eyes in the other direction. "Aww man," Sonic said in disgust. "I don't get you at all."

"Wait a few years and you might get it," Shadow said. "Or never, since you're more interested in going fast."

"It's way more of a rush than… _that_ … could ever be," Sonic said as he narrowed his eyes at Shadow.

"You'll see one day," Shadow said smugly. Then he looked to the side to see that the sun was setting, hiding itself behind the tall skyscrapers not so far away. He walked the direction of his gaze, towards the city.

"Where are you going?" Sonic asked.

"It's getting late," Shadow stopped and said. "The clubs will be opening soon."

"Where you find your prey," Sonic said in disgust. "Don't get too drunk now."

"Oh, I don't get drunk," Shadow turned his head and said seriously, then he smirked sinisterly. "That would be idiotic. People take advantage."

"And you of all all people would know," Sonic said dryly as he folded his arms. "Dude, you'd better use protection."

Shadow rubbed the back of his neck and looked to the ground nervously.

"Yeah, sure…"

"Shadow!" Sonic exclaimed. "You'll- you're… they…" The hedgehog took in a deep breath. "Are you trying to be be the dad to a million babies."

"Nonsense," Shadow said, then turned to face Sonic in confidence. "I'm infertile." Sonic sighed in relief. "The Professor said that I can't have children."

"I really hope you're sure, Shadow," Sonic said. "Well, have fun." He shot off in the opposite direction.

…

"So, how many?" Sonic asked, deadpanning at Shadow when he met in their usual spot. The black hedgehog smirked, lifting his head slightly with pride.

"Three," Shadow said.

"How do you get around so fast?" Sonic asked. "How many of them are hedgehogs?"

Shadow narrowed his eyes at Sonic in suspicion.

"You don't believe me when I say I'm infertile. Do you?" Shadow asked. Sonic nodded his head in honesty.

"1 of them was a hedgehog," Shadow said, getting worked up with the blue hedgehog. "Like many others before her. And they're all fine. No one's pregnant."

"You sure?" Sonic asked. "You sure they're not pregnant and they just can't find you. Or perhaps they don't want to find you because you lied to them by telling them you're-"

"It's not a lie!" Shadow yelled. "Seriously, hedgehog. You're beginning to get on my nerves."

"Only beginning? You've improved," Sonic said.

"I've gained an increased tolerance to you," Shadow said and turned his nose up. "It's needed to get through these daily meetings of ours."

"And yet you still deny being friends," Sonic smirked.

"We can never be friends, Faker. Just… acquaintances," Shadow said, then lowered his eyelids at Sonic playfully. Sonic rolled his eyes and looked out into the distance.

"It's getting late already," he said, noticing the sun was setting. "Shouldn't you be on your way."

"No one goes out on a Sunday," Shadow said. "Not in this area anyway."

"It's Sunday?" Sonic asked. "Wow. I lost track of the days."

"What day did you think it was?" Shadow asked.

"I dunno. Just not Sunday," Sonic chuckled, then smirked at Shadow. The smugness just kept bouncing back and forth between the two of them. "I bet ya' fifty rings that you got at least one of those girls pregnant."

"Make it a hundred," Shadow said with confidence. "No, two hundred. Three. I'm willing to bet my life on this."

"Alright, Shadow. Let's not go too far with this," Sonic said. "I'd love to be an asshole and agree to your three hundred but… it would be cruel to take that much money from you."

"Or, you can't afford to give that much up," Shadow joked. The dark hedgehog narrowed his eyes. "So, how long is it until I get my money."

Sonic put a finger on his chin in thought, and looked up as if this was a very pressing question. Shadow tapped his foot impatiently.

"Let's say a year. If no one comes forward to you, holding a little Shadow Juniour in their arms, demanding you pay up childcare costs or whatever it is these people have to deal with… then I'd say you're in the clear."

"And, what if they were to show up after more than a year," Shadow said.

"Then it sucks to be me," Sonic chuckled.

"What if they showed up one day after the cut off date?" Shadow asked.

"Then it _really_ sucks to be me," Sonic said with a bigger chuckle. Shadow nodded.

"Alright. So, on this exact day a year from now, you have to give me fifty rings," Shadow said.

"And you have to give me fifty before then, because I'm pretty sure this will blow up in your face," Sonic said, puffing his chest out confidently. The two of them couldn't stop teasing the other with their smug grins. "Oh, and the more you go out there to score… the more you run the risk of losing."

"There is no risk. I'm infertile," Shadow reminded.

"Whatever you say, Shadow," Sonic said.

 **1 Year Later**

"So, here it is, buddy. One year later…" Sonic said solemnly as he stood by the tree. "I've been waiting for this day… heh. Perhaps you'll show up again just to get your money." He sighed sadly and looked down at swaying grass below him. "Even though you lost... but I don't think you know that."

The blue hedgehog leaned against the tree as he looked out into the city. The sun was setting. The hedgehog shivered, but not due to cold.

"Wish you were here with me… like old times," the hedgehog mumbled. "They all kind of need you right now. Like I do."


	2. Chapter 2

**6 Months Before**

Shadow strolled down the one of the streets of Night Babylon. The neon lights shone over his face, and reflected off his rings and the metal off of his shoes. Parts of him stood out in this night-life district. It was full of nightclubs and bars, including Club Rouge. Shadow visited there often, because he got free drinks which he would give to any lady that caught his eye.

"Your place or mine?" the female hedgehog he currently had by his side said. Of course Shadow wasn't alone. He was hardly alone on nights like this.

"Yours. Mine isn't… clean enough for guests right now," Shadow said, lying through his teeth. His place wasn't unclean, it was non-existent.

"Oh… can we stop off in here first," said the pink furred young woman as she pointed to the bar they crossed. There was excitement in her sparkling blue eyes.

"No," Shadow said and grabbed her by the shoulders firmly. "I need you. Now." And could anyone say no the the ultimate life form, with his beautiful ruby eyes and smooth tan muzzle. His mouth curled from a troubled frown to an inviting grin. "If you come with me now…" he leaned into the lady's ear. "I'll show you my true power," he whispered. The girl held back a squeal, then ran, dragging Shadow down the pathway.

…

Shadow looked at the girl laying beside her. She was asleep. That was Shadow's chance. He crept out of the bed and grabbed his shoes and gloves. Then he tiptoed out of the bedroom. The female hedgehog didn't stir one bit. Once he left the room, he promptly put on his clothes and left through the window. The hedgehog fell several floors into an alley, but he landed perfectly, unscratched. He'd gotten pretty good at it by this point, due to a lot of practice and experience. And experience told him that one girl wasn't usually enough. To he prowled back onto the night scene, looking for anyone that was still alone and would fall for his dark charm.

…

 **The Next Morning**

Shadow woke up in the bed of another girl. His eyes shot open and he looked to his side. There was no one there, but the duvet was left open, and the empty space felt warm. Shadow looked to the open door in a panic. Why had he fallen asleep? He looked to his other side. The duvet seemed to be left in a similar way to the right hand side of the bed. Shadow smirked, remembering the night's events.

Then he looked up as he heard footsteps, there was a lot more tapping against the floor that one would expect to hear from one person. Shadow grinned as he saw two female hedgehogs come into the room. They both giggled once they saw that Shadow was awake. The turquoise hedgehogs ran over to the bed, either side of Shadow.

"Twins," Shadow said under his breath in delight. "Twice the fun."

…

"That Faker's an idiot," Shadow said to himself as he walked down the street. It was daylight, and the hedgehog felt a bit sore from the night before. "If I'd gotten someone pregnant by now, they would have found me. It's not as if it's hard to find me. Club Rouge. Easy. Hey, you're the father of my baby. Done." But why was he ranting to himself about it? Why had it worked him up so much if he was so sure? Shadow sighed. "And if I had gotten someone pregnant… _somehow_ … I could just deny it. I'm not putting up with that smug face of his."

The hedgehog sat down on a park bench. He rested an elbow on the armrest, and rested his chin on his hand, looking bored, but inviting nonetheless. The hedgehog was never off duty. The urge of his was never ending. It became a discomfort to him whether he tried to leave this urge too long. At first Shadow felt that it was a bit much, but eventually ran with it. After all, the Professor did tell him that he was infertile. Something to do with hybrid DNA of his. Shadow was a mule of some sorts. The offspring of two different species. Unable to pass on these hybrid genes.

A young woman sat down next to him. Another hedgehog. Shadow cheered in his mind, but made sure not to give off the hint that it made him happy. It was the stoic act that got girls fawning over him. He stayed silent for a few moments, before he glanced at the girl. She was looking out into the distance, holding a brown envelope on her lap. She wore a coat that was long enough to go down to her knees. It covered her arms too. She wore a scarf around her neck and head, and wore sunglasses over her eyes. Shadow caught glimpses of orange fur beneath the clothes. And from the ears and the quills that protruded from her headscarf, Shadow could tell she was the same species.

Shadow opened his mouth to speak, leaning over to her slightly. But before he could open his mouth, the girl passed him the envelope.

"Huh?" Shadow sounded as he closed his grip on it. "What's…?" The girl was off in her high heels before Shadow could say another word. He looked down at the envelope. There was a letter inside of it which read,

'Meet us at Club Rouge tonight at 8pm. We have something special for you.'

Shadow's eyes nearly popped out of his head at this. This seemed too good to be true!

"Us? Do I have some kind of fanbase?" Shadow asked himself. Fanbase? For a person who slept around in the way he did? The hedgehog was getting too full of himself.

 **8pm That Night**

Shadow strolled into Club Rouge. It was quiet because it was still early. No music was playing. Rouge was stood at the bar, and once she noticed Shadow, she looked very sternly at him. Shadow returned the look with an expression of confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he walked over to her. Rouge folded her arms, looking at him with more and more animosity as he got closer. He was stood right in front of her, hands on the bar. "What?"

"Ask the ladies over there," Rouge said, then pointed to the group of hedgehogs that were sat on the corner seats on the other side of the room. Shadow could make out about a dozen figures in several colours, darkened by the lack of lights.

"What's going-"

A light flicked on, revealing the girls in full light. But this time… stood by prams. Shadow felt his stomach squeeze inside of him.

"This… has to be a joke. There's no way-"

"This is no joke," Rouge said. "I'm completely disappointed in you, Shadow. Disgusted, in fact. Ten women, pregnant. By you."

"No! This is a set up! You must all have some kind of vendetta against me because I…" Shadow didn't even have enough breath in his lungs to finish his sentence. He felt choked.

"Because you slept with us and left without a word?" one of the females remarked. A feisty red furred one. Shadow felt a lump in his throat with he swallowed down with a struggle. When would this choking feeling go?

"They can't ALL be mine," Shadow exclaimed.

At that, all of the women lifted the babies out of the prams. Every one of the tiny hoglets were covered with the unmistakeable jet black fur with crimson red highlights. Shadow tried to breath in, but he was truly choked this time. One of the babies got his attention quickly. The oldest out of the bunch, so the first to open their eyes. The eyes were a deep red like rubies, and had their father's soul frightening stare.

Shadow dropped down to his knees, then cried up to the sky, screaming at the fate that had befallen him.


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh, he knew," said a very annoyed looking female. The hedgehog stared at Sonic, not impressed by his questions at all. She rocked a pram back and forth to quieten her baby's cries. She looked to her sister, another turquoise furred female, with a pram of her own. Sonic sat, tensely looking at the two of them. He smiled nervously. "Of course he did. Why else would he had taken off?"

"Shadow…" Sonic said in awe, then began scratching his head. "You… absolutely sure?"

"YES!" both of the girls yelled. Sonic pushed himself back and his chair tipped in his moment of fear. He hit the floor with a thud. The table shook, and the milkshakes and the half a chili dog that sat on the surface almost toppled off of it.

"If you see your friend Shadow. Tell him that his sons need him," said the other twin, very crossly while Sonic got up from the floor and brushed himself off. The hedgehog sheepishly leaned over to the look at the two prams. Each of them were inhabited by a pair of twins.

"All… four of them…" Sonic said uncomfortably. Their gazes were uncomfortable. He could have sworn that Shadow was inside of their heads, spying on the hedgehog. "Oh Chaos… they have his glare," he trembled under his breath as he backed up into his seat again.

"Glare? We didn't see any glares from him. Only cowardice," said the first twin. Then she stood up, picking her handbag from the floor and positioning it on her shoulder. "So it wouldn't surprise me if we never see him again."

"But you still want me to… tell him?" Sonic asked, he got nods from both of them, then they left with their noses turned up at him, pushing their prams away. "But… I'm not even sure that Shadow's alive anymore. And… even if he is… would he show his face to these women ever again?" Sonic said quietly to himself.

The hedgehog finished his chilidog in a one big gulp, then shot off into the distance.

…

 **6 Months Earlier**

Shadow made a break for the door, but Rouge was one step ahead of him. She swooped him before he could even turn around fully.

"No way, Shadow. You're not getting away from this one," Rouge said.

"B-but… this isn't the fate of the Ultimate Life Form!" Shadow said dramatically, on his hands and knees, begging before Rouge. The bat had her arms crossed, standing tall in front of the exit. "I'm infertile. The Professor told me so!"

"The Professor was wrong," Rouge said firmly. "And you should have guessed that."

"So should they!" Shadow said, the pointed back at the group of women. "They believed it too!"

"Oh, that's right. Blame the victims," Rouge said with a scowl. "Blame the victims you got drunk with the free drinks that I gave you…" she was seething at this point.

"Is that you claiming some responsibility for this?" Shadow asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

"Yes," Rouge said. "Which is why I'm helping these women."

Shadow turned his head to look at the women.

"Ten women, fourteen children. Good luck, Shadow," Rouge scolded.

"Fourteen?" Shadow squeaked as his ears fell back against his head.

"Twins," two turquoise hedgehogs said in unison.

"Triplets," said another woman, her bright orange fur standing out from the rest.

"What do you expect me to do with fourteen children?" Shadow said. "Father them all?"

Then came a chorus of yeses from the women.

"And you'd better hope there's no more out there," Rouge said slyly. "I'll be putting a poster up… advertising your willingness to help out anyone you got pregnant."

"But… there can't be more. I can't cope with more!" Shadow said as he tugged at his ears at the stress of the situation.

"Stop acting like the victim here, Shadow," Rouge said. "It's time to man up. I thought you were the ultimate life form."

"I… am the ultimate life form," Shadow said lowly.

"You're not acting like it," Rouge said. Shadow gulped, then closed his eyes, accepting his fate. "Alright. I'll father these children. And anyone one else that comes forward." There was a deep sense of shame in his voice.

…

 **2 Months Later**

"Why, Shadow. It's been a while," Rouge said pleasantly as Shadow walked into Club Rouge in the middle of the day.

"Well, I have been busy," Shadow said in irritation. He eyed Rouge and the poster that was placed behind her with bold lettering about Shadow's 'sleeping' habits.

"So, child count?" Rouge asked.

"Twenty five…" Shadow said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Isn't that lovely. You must be one big happy family," Rouge said with a forced sense of sweetness.

"Yes. Twenty five screaming brats," Shadow said through gritted teeth. "Wonderful. I'm drowning in happiness."

"And babies," Rouge sniggered. Shadow banged his hand down on the bar surface. Rouge laughed even more. "Come on, it can't be that bad. Surely there is some sense of love and bonding."

"Nope," Shadow said and folded his arms. "Nothing at all. Twenty five is kind of a hard number to bond with."

"Not one of them's stood out to you?" Rouge asked, sounding concerned at this point.

"All of them are the same," Shadow said. "They cry, they sleep, they… well." He looked away uncomfortably.

"I bet you're an expert at changing them. All that practice," Rouge said. Shadow silently glared at her. Then the door at the front swung open The two of them looked over to see a young woman walk in. Shadow felt a sense of disbelief. Another hedgehog.

"Umm… I heard this is where we go to find-" she stopped when she saw Shadow. Her polite demeanor turned to a raging mess. "YOU! You liar!"

Shadow put his hands up in defense.

"Is he in there, babe? I'll smack him one!" came a masculine voice from outside.

"Oh crap. There's a boyfriend involved," Shadow said under his breath.

"No-no. Hold the baby. I'll do it for you," the female said. Shadow's tail went between his legs. He would have prefered the man. At least then he could fight back. The dark hedgehog closed his eyes tightly as he saw the woman stomp towards him. Then, a pain between his legs.

"Alright, we're done here," she said. "He doesn't have to worry about the baby. We're perfectly happy with it!"

"Thanks, sperm donor!" came the male's voice from outside. Shadow winced as he opened his eyes to see the woman leave.

"So… twenty six," Rouge smirked at Shadow. "And that's not counting any others that haven't come forward because they actually like the baby."

"I doubt that…" Shadow hissed.

"She seemed to like it. Even her boyfriend," Rouge said. Shadow glared at the bat again then made his way to the door. "I'll see you again in a few months."

"Or never. I was lucky enough to get this free time," Shadow growled as he walked through the door.

"Which was wasted on getting kicked in the-"

"BYE!" Shadow called out as he stormed off.


	4. Chapter 4

Shadow was huddled by 3 raging infants as he sat on the carpeted floor. The look on his face was far from amused.

"Now that you're finally here, I have some me time," said the orange hedgehog. She bent down in front of Shadow and the babies and made a kissy face. "Bye bye. Mummy will see you again soon." Then she gave Shadow a dry look before turning to leave.

"H-how long will you be gone?" Shadow asked as he attempted to get up, but one of the babies had latched onto his waist, and the other two onto his arms.

"A few hours," she said, then slammed the door behind her.

"Damn," Shadow cursed, then looked down at the three terrors. He gasped in pain as one of them latched onto his chest fur, pulling at each individual strand of fur. Luckily, this meant that one of his arms were free, so he pried the child off of him. He held it at arm's length, and the small creature dangled in his grip. The hedgehog shivered as he caught it's gaze. He knew what it felt to receive one his death glares. It was strangely so much more effective coming from the eyes from an infant. Shadow gently set it down on the thick carpet.

"Alright… ummm… Junior," Shadow said. "Junior 2, 3." He couldn't even remember their names. "How about I tell you a story- GAH!" One of them had found themselves to Shadow's tail, and was tugging at it fiercely. "I've been shot, frozen, and experimented on, and here I am yelping at some pathetic babies…" he sighed. "How low I've fallen."

He looked at the clock, and felt frustrated by how slow the time passed.

 **6 Months Later**

"He didn't even know their names. The idiot," the orange hedgehog said in disgust. Sonic listened intently. "The others have told me about your little visits. You're a better person than he is."

Sonic rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled.

"Stop. You'll make me blush," he said.

"I'm so jealous of the lucky girl that has a child with you when you're older," the woman said. "Even if you are a deadbeat, then you'd at least visit more than Shadow ever does."

"Alright," Sonic said and put his hands out. "Enough about me." He looked down at the triplets, playing around with one another. "So, Shadow couldn't remember their names. Let's see if I can do a better job."

Sonic forgot the names the second after they were said. He couldn't blame Shadow for forgetting, somewhat.

"Nice," Sonic said. "So uh… what was he like around them?"

"An idiot," she said. "He even acted scared. I mean, they're only babies. I thought he was meant to be some kind of 'ultimate lifeform'." Sonic cringed at the air quoting.

"He is the ultimate lifeform. He's just… an awful dad," Sonic said, smiling awkwardly. He felt uncomfortable at the look the orange hedgehog was giving him. Sonic's mouth twitched into a nervous smile and he looked to the door. "So uh…"

"If you're bored, you can go," she said boredly. "You're not their dad. You've no obligation to be here. But, if you do see Shadow… kick him in the emeralds for me." She cracked a smile.

"Alright, so that's ten kicks in the crotch, and five punches to the face in total," Sonic said in thought. "Got it."

"I'm not the only one who thought of that? Shame," the woman said, not sounding all that bothered. In fact, she looked a little delighted at the numbers. Shadow was owed a lot of beatings. "And tell him to get his ass down here. And learn their names!"

"Of course," Sonic said and slowly got up from the armchair and shifted towards the door. "Bye!" He rushed out.

He sighed as he walked out of the apartment building.

"Why do I even bother with this?" he asked himself, then got out a list from his quills and pointed to the next name on the list. "Alright. They're not too far away."

…

 **6 Months Earlier**

"This is awful," Shadow said as he walked out of the apartment block of his triplets. He wiped some baby sick from his shoulder, looking the other way in disgust. "The ultimate lifeform should be wiping the blood of his victims from himself, not the… vomit from his infant child." He turned the corner, glad to be out of the sight of that building. He was glad he had a whole week before he had to go back. He looked upwards in thought. "Damn, two hours with Junior next." Which Junior, though? Shadow knew what he meant. He knew where to go, just not the names of the people he was seeing.

He looked out to the sun setting in the distance, casting shadows over the city.

"Faker… I wonder if you still wait for me by the tree…" he said solemnly. "I owe you those rings." He sulked on his way to his next destination.

But before he could reach it, he felt a sharp pain in his back. He looked down, noticing a very small hole in his chest. Green blood began pouring from it. The hedgehog tried to breath in in shock, but instead of oxygen, he got pain. He choked outward before collapsing to his knees. A million thoughts went through his head as he collapsed forward.

 _What just happened? I was shot. Who shot me? Was it on purpose? Was it an accident? No, it was too precise. It was planned. Sniper. But not in the head. They know they can't kill me. Someone wants to capture me. Who? Eggman? No. He doesn't operate like this. Snipers. Armed soldiers. GUN. Of course. They captured me fifty years ago, why wouldn't they want me now? Do they know about my children? Only if Rouge told them. Would she tell? No, she's more loyal than that. Unless they tortured her for information. But why would they go that far to go on a far fetched assumption that I might have children. That's dumb. Idiotic. No. Rouge didn't tell them. They don't know about my children. Unless one of those women reported. But I wouldn't be around to help them look after their child if I was arrested. And it would put their own child at risk. Damn. They're all at risk. Why couldn't I be infertile like the Professor said- DAMN! This is going to hurt._

Thump. His face impacted the ground. The hedgehog lay still, beginning to feel numb all over. His vision slowly blurred more and more, so he closed his eyes. He heard footsteps echoing, so he forced himself to open his eyes again. He struggled to tip his head slightly, to look up at his hunter. GUN uniform. Shadow sighed and let himself relax again. He was right, and he was screwed.


	5. Chapter 5

"Darn it, Shadow! You did know!" Sonic yelled as he threw down his list, all names crossed off. "He's been to see each and every one of them!" The hedgehog stomped on the list and scraped it under his shoe. "He owes me fifty rings. And about a million visits. Six month's worth."

The hedgehog kept his face to the floor, looking down in sadness and anger.

"What happened to you?" he breathed. "I understand why you're staying away from the kids but… me? What did I do?" He lifted his foot from the list, looking down at the scraped and ripped mess it was. "One more month, Shadow. That's all I'm waiting for you. Then I'm moving on." The hedgehog walked, leaving the destroyed list behind.

 **One (X 2400) Months Later**

Shadow's eyes snapped open. His vision refused to come into focus. He felt cold. Freezing, in fact. He felt a hand wrap around his arm, then gravity taking effect. It was dim in this small, dusty old room. Shadow looked up to see that he'd just fallen out of a cryochamber. Glancing to the side, he was that he must have been pulled out by… a red and black hedgehog. Shadow felt very cold again all of a sudden. He felt the gaze of this hedgehog go right through him.

"Shadow," they said. "I am-"

"You're one of them!" Shadow exclaimed in surprise as he sat up and grabbed them in shock. The other hedgehog looked surprised when Shadow began shaking them by the arms. "You grew up!"

"Yes…" they said annoyedly, deadpanning at Shadow. "As does everyone." Shadow stopped shaking them and looked at them.

"So that's what it feels like," he said as he looked at them in awe, which soon turned to discomfort. Shadow suddenly let go of the other hedgehog and stepped back. "So, you're… just like me."

"Unfortunately," they said and folded their arms.

"Surely you're putting this on," Shadow said in astonishment. He was promptly glared at. Shadow gulped, feeling as if his soul was being sucked from his body. "Who trained you?"

"It comes naturally," they said simply, voice soft-spoken and gruff, similar to Shadow's. "And that should be the least of your worries. Welcome to the future."

"How… far in the future?" Shadow asked, feeling all hope deflating from his body.

"You were last seen about 200 years ago," he said. "So yeah, welcome to 'the future.'" Shadow grit his teeth and looked to the floor.

"Sonic… Rouge…"

"Gone. Whoever they are," the other hedgehog said dismissively. "Let's get out of here. This place is abandoned, but that doesn't mean we're safe. It could collapse on us or something." The other hedgehog grabbed Shadow. "Chaos Control!"

They were in a street. The sun shone bright above them. The skyscrapers were tall, and made of something other than concrete. The sun's rays bounced off of the walls, brightening the scenery even more.

"Is… everyone blind in the future?" Shadow asked as he squinted his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" the other hedgehog scoffed. Then he looked both ways before running into an alleyway. "Follow!"

Shadow looked around warily, before following the other hedgehog into the narrowed alley. Shadow skidded to a halt as the other hedgehog stopped suddenly in front of a door that was on the side wall. He gave a knock with a very distinct rhythm. Then, the door was opened to him. Shadow took in a deep breath and followed inside. The door was closed after him.

"Got him!"

Shadow's eyes widened as he saw a very large room, full of hedgehogs that were the same colours as him. The hair styles different slightly, and so did some of the facial features. But one thing that wasn't different. That stare. Shadow felt remorse for all of the times he simply looked at a person.

"Chaos Control!"

Time stopped. But Shadow didn't notice it. All he noticed a change in the arrangement of the people in the room, and his crotch hurt more than it ever had before. Shadow could barely move before he screamed at the top of his lungs, and stood tensed up in agony.

"You… all…"

"Payment. From our mothers," a voice from the crowd came.

"With interest," added another. Shadow's legs shook as he slunk to the floor, feeling rather light headed and nauseous. He shut his eyes tight, shivering in pain.

"That's not fair," Shadow rasped. "I didn't mean to leave."

"Oh, we realise that," a female stepped forward. "But, of course, you did mean to be a complete asshole beforehand."

Shadow opened one of his eyes open and looked up at this girl. Red and black, just like all of the other people in the room. She wore her quills long.

"And you are…?" he rasped. The girl answered.

Of course. Shadow forgot her name a second after it was said. That information was overwritten by the event that happened right afterwards.

The door swung open.

"Guys! You all need to get out of here. There's been word that GUN's found this hideout! They're on there way!" a light grey hedgehog yelled. Shadow looked at this hedgehog, in surprise over the information. The large group began to scramble. All disappearing one by one. The grey hedgehog turned to leave.

"Wait! Where are they going!?" Shadow called out to him.

"You don't know?" he stopped and said. "Are you… new here?"

Shadow nodded.

"What's your name?" the hedgehog asked.

"Shadow."

"Shadow the… third? Fifth? Twentieth?"

"Wait… how many people are named after me?" Shadow burst out, not sounding impressed. The other hedgehog looked at Shadow in surprise, but also a hint of disbelief. By then, they were alone in the room. The other hedgehog waved his hand towards himself, beckoning for Shadow to follow, then ran out.

As soon as Shadow stepped out of the building, he was surrounded by a cyan aura and felt weightless. He looked forward in surprise to see that he and the other hedgehog was floating upwards. Shadow opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. It wasn't everyday one was floated up to a roof.

They landed elegantly and gracefully on the flat roof of the very tall skyscraper. There was a moment of silence as it looked as if the grey hedgehog was finding the right word to say. Shadow folded his arms impatiently.

"I… never thought I'd get to meet you, Shadow," said the other hedgehog. "I… am Silver." Shadow nodded, still looking at Silver with wide eyes of anticipation. "I'm loosely related to you, on my mother's side, I believe." He looked as if he was in deep thought, digging into his memories. "And I'm also related to Sonic from my father's side." That's when Shadow raised an eye ridge.

"You're related to… both of us?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah, it's cool, huh?" Silver said proudly.

"You poor thing," Shadow said, shaking his head in dismay. "Cursed with Faker's genes."

"More like cursed with _your_ genes, you asshole," Silver cursed in anger. "Do you have any idea what you caused with your… sleeping around."

"Misery," Shadow said monotonously.

"That's right," Silver said. "Complete misery, for so many people."

"No wait. Misery for me," Shadow said. "And maybe those women. Especially the orange one."

"The orange one?" Silver said in irritation. "You've no respect for your own family, do you?" Shadow shrugged in response. "Asshole. GUN are after every single one of your offspring. They're classed as third class citizens. Right after us regular Sapients."

Shadow looked at Silver gravely.

"It would make a lot of sense. GUN always had something against me, and my children are all practically me. They… want me hidden away from the rest of society…" he looked down, becoming solemn. But then a smirk appeared on his face. Silver raised an eye ridge at this. "Hehe. And now it's practically impossible to keep my existence hidden since there's so many of me."

"And this is a good thing?" Silver questioned. Shadow walked over to the edge of the roof and looked down when he heard movement down below. "Shadow, don't do that. They'll spot you," Silver warned in a loud whisper. Shadow didn't listen. He watched as a group of armed soldiers broke into the building. Shadow chuckled to himself, knowing the soldiers wouldn't find anything.

"Let them," Shadow said confidently.


	6. Chapter 6

Silver grabbed Shadow by the shoulder and pulled him back.

"Hey!" Shadow called out as he struggled against Silver's grip.

"Shadow, what are you doing?"

"I want them to know that I'm back!" Shadow exclaimed.

"They can't tell the difference between you and the others," Silver said in alarm. "Just stop this." Shadow broke free anyway and ran to the edge. Before he could show his face again, he was lifted from the ground and pulled backwards while surrounded by the cyan aura.

"Shadow, you'll get yourself captured," Silver said. "And you won't just be frozen this time." Shadow didn't agree with Silver. He frowned at his captor, glaring at him. "That look doesn't bother me at all. I'm used to it." Shadow's eyes widened in surprise. "Do you have any idea how many kids you have?"

"26 last time I counted," Shadow said dully.

"There was 50," Silver said. "Which, of course, had kids of their own. The males had habits like you."

"And?" Shadow asked and folded his arms.

"There are thousands of you out there, Shadow," Silver said. "Closing in on one hundred thousand. And your offspring will keep multiplying."

"Exponentially," Shadow said.

"And, of course, none of them age, and none of them die off. They just keep going," Silver said.

"You say this like it's a bad thing," Shadow said. "Why are you helping them if that's the case."

"Because it's cruel what's being done to them," Silver said. "Concentration camps. And treatment there is… barbaric."

Shadow looked unnerved by this.

"But… they can all just escape with Chaos Control," Shadow said.

"The humans found a way to block the energy from being used," Silver said. "If you go there, it's over for you."

"So what do you propose I do instead?" Shadow asked annoyedly.

"Stay out of their way," Silver said.

"And leave those who are already captured to suffer?" Shadow asked urgently.

"Wait… you care now?" Silver asked. Shadow glared at him again, as if to try to deny it. "Alright. I'll show you where the place is. If you think you can save everyone. Then go ahead." Shadow's facial expression lit up. "But I'm not going with you. I don't have a death wish."

…

 **2 Days Later**

"Damn it! No!" Shadow cried out.

"I told you so, see ya', Shadow," Silver said, then floated off to safety.

"Silver! No!"

Shadow was surrounded by a group of soldiers and mechs. The logo that made Shadow's blood boil, adorned them all. GUN. Shadow held the wound on his chest, feeling his legs buckle beneath him.

"No. I refuse to be captured. Chaos Control!" Shadow said in desperation, but nothing happened. He gasped and looked down at the wound that was dripping with green blood. "What?"

"Black Arms Hedgehog captured," one of the armed humans said into a communicator.

"Where did the other sapient go?" a human asked, looking around confusedly.

"I didn't see which direction he went. But it's not worth worrying over," they said. Shadow smirked at this, before he blacked out.

…

Shadow awoke to the sounds of groaning and chattering. He sat up and looked around frantically to see that he surrounded by many black and red hedgehogs. Shadow noticed he felt a little light at the arms and legs. He gasped when he saw that his inhibitor rings and clothes were gone.

"Wh-where are they!? I need them or-"

Shadow's freaking out got many hedgehog's attention.

"Don't worry. You're not going to combust in your own energy or something," one of them said, voice soft spoken and gruff, similar to Shadow's.

"Yeah… we've all been implanted with these chips that stop us from producing Chaos Energy."

Shadow's ears flopped in shame and disappointment.

"We're all… useless," he said, looking down at his bare ankles in shame. "Even more useless than the people like Faker…" As he lifted his head again, he noticed that his neck felt a bit strange. He lifted his hand and felt it, to find that there was a plastic flexible collar wrapped around it. He looked to see if anyone else had one. Everyone had a yellow collar with a number printed on it.

He looked around the room to see grey walls on all sides. All of them, along with the ceilings and floor were just bare concrete. The hedgehog felt a little claustrophobic when he looked up. The ceiling was very low, and that's why everyone sat down. Shadow assumed it was due to exhaustion. They were really cramped, probably to fit more floors into smaller spaces.

"We're all being treated like… cattle," Shadow said in a sad astonishment. "Just left here and forgotten."

"I don't think we can fit anymore in this one." A voice from outside came. Chattering quietened down to listen.

"Shove them in anyway. We're running out of space."

The small door at the front of the room opened, and several other hedgehogs were shoved inside. Shuffling began, to make more room. Shadow winced as quills from other hedgehogs were shoved in his face. He pulled his legs up to his chest and sucked in a breath of air, which felt thick and warm.

"We can't fit all of these guys in here!"

"Does it matter if they're a bit more uncomfortable. Just shove them in!"

They kept coming. The red and black hedgehogs piled in. Some of them conscious, others not.

"Oh, and while we're at it, bring number 85795 out."

Shadow looked around the room, and so did others, looking out for the number. Unexpectedly, many of the hedgehogs surrounding him began pointing to him. Shadow looked downwards, attempting to look at the number on his collar, but it was impossible. He took the other's word for it. Shadow crawled his way towards the door, climbing over disgruntled hedgehogs as he did so. He sat at the door, holding his head up to show the number tied around his neck. Then he was grabbed by the arm and pulled out violently.

"Judging by the testing we did on this one, he's very close to the first generation. In fact, he very well could be," said one of the humans as Shadow was dragged away. He looked around the corridor to see many small doors and many levels. It was like a filing cabinet, full of his offspring and descendents. "His DNA is the purest. The closest match to the original."

"I am the original," Shadow said, deadpanning to the corridor left behind him as he was dragged. The group of humans stopped.

"No. He's kidding around," they said. "The original was put into stasis hundreds of years ago."

"And I escaped," Shadow said firmly. The humans looked at each other, finding it hard to believe him.

"Oh, this is perfect," one of them said in a fiendish delight. "Just perfect for our little experiment."

"If that's meant to scare me, then it failed. I've been experimented on before," Shadow said, being sure to sound as least bothered as he possibly could. On the inside, however, he was getting rather nervous.

"Oh, let's get this done, now. I can't wait to see the results," they said. Shadow was dragged out of the storage area and down another corridor. It wasn't long before they reached an new room. A lab. Shadow was shoved onto a table and strapped down. He gulped as one of the humans picked up a needle. Shadow couldn't help but show a hint of discomfort at the sight of it.

"Okay… keep him still. This is a very precise procedure. Considering the very… concealed anatomy of this species," the man said as he walked towards Shadow. He stood at the foot of the table, looking down over Shadow's legs. Shadow lifted his head to watch nervously. The human bent down, bringing Shadow's feet to eye level. Shadow's eyes widened when he realised that it wasn't the feet or legs that this human was looking at.

"Oh, Chaos no!" Shadow yelled angrily. "You're not going there!"

"Yes I am, and there's nothing you can do about it, Project SHADOW. If this works, you might be able to experience the liberation of your race."

"Okay. Sterilisation attempt number 52 is under way," said a human stood at the side, taking notes.

"Steril…" Shadow trembled. "NO!" He screamed as the human's needle grew closer and closer to his groin.


	7. Chapter 7

"This is fucking insane! Stop this! You're sick and twisted! GAH! No! Please! Stop!" Shadow cried out frantically as he was injected. He couldn't help but shake about.

"Hold still or I might miss," the human said in irritation.

"Go ahead! Miss!" Shadow yelled, but his eyes widened as the human got him. Shadow sucked in a sharp breath of pain through his gritted teeth, then cried out again. "I'm still sensitive there from when- AHHH!"

"I'm not entirely sure that this is the original. The ultimate life form?" the man injecting said dryly. "He's screaming like a little girl."

"It fucking burns, that's why!" Shadow cried out.

"It must be working," he said. "Finally. We're getting somewhere." Shadow breathed through the pain of his insides burning up. "Alright. Send him back inside the vault. We'll bring him back out in two days to test his sperm count."

"Judging by how it feels. I guess 0," Shadow said, teeth gritted in pain.

…

 **2 Days Later**

Shadow was correct. He sat on the edge of the table, looking down in shame. The humans were discussing it and celebrating with grins and cheers.

"Rub it in why don't you," Shadow mumbled under his breath. He looked up at them. "This means we can all go free now, right?"

They all looked at him in silence. One of them finally spoke up.

"It depends whether we can get the funding for this," he said. "It won't be cheap to sterilize one-hundred-thousand of you." Shadow narrowed his eyes at the group.

"And, you're going to take the pain out of it when you do," Shadow demanded.

"That will require even more funding," they added dryly. Shadow looked down, feeling troubled. This feeling surprised him.

"I actually care now?" he mumbled under his breath. "No." He grit his teeth, trying to push the feelings back. Shadow jumped off of the table and walked over to the counter at the side of the room.

"What are you doing, hedgehog?" one of the humans asked and stepped forward.

Shadow suddenly grabbed one of the devices and held it to his chest.

"GAH!" He dropped to the floor in pain and dropped the device. Stuck to it, was a small metal chip. The device was strongly magnetic. There was a hole on Shadow's chest. The human ran over to him, but it was too late.

"Chaos Control!"

…

Shadow appeared on one of the quiet backstreets of the city he was in beforehand. He saw Silver, leaning against the building on the other side of the road. Shadow ran over to him.

"Silver!"

"Shadow!?" the grey hedgehog said in surprise. "The original!?"

"Yes!" Shadow said once he reached him. "I escaped. We need to break everyone out of there. It's awful."

"That was the plan _before_ you got yourself captured," Silver remarked.

"Thanks for your help with that, by the way," Shadow remarked back. "You did a great job running away." Silver rubbed the back of his neck. "But that doesn't matter now. They're trying to sterilize everyone!"

Silver didn't look too bothered.

"Maybe that's a good idea. Considering your offspring's uncontrollable libido," Silver said and folded his arms. "That's what got you into this mess to begin with. Unhealthy obsession with sex."

"You're beginning to sound like Faker. You definitely take after him more," Shadow commented.

"You could have at least used protection," Silver scolded.

"Faker, is that you?" Shadow remarked. Then he looked away. "I thought I was infertile."

"Idiot!" Silver yelled.

"Hey! If I did use protection, you wouldn't have been born," Shadow said with a smirk. Silver was silent at that. "If it's any consolation, I can't spawn anymore demons, due to…" He looked down at his crotch.

"Why are all of you so… promiscuous?" Silver asked. "It's obviously genetic. Do you think it's the Black Arms' DNA?"

Shadow looked up at Silver.

"That… would make a lot of sense," Shadow said. "I… have the DNA of their leader. And their leader needed to reproduce an awful lot. I don't know how it worked exactly, but it seemed he was the father of his whole species. He called them all his offspring." Shadow looked at Silver, surprised at his own deduction.

"So it's… instinct," Silver said.

Shadow looked down in shame.

"Instinct or not, I caused the pain and misery of so many. I… need to put it right," he said in a solemn determination. His fists began tightening.

"And how do you think you're going to do that?" Silver asked.

"I have to break them all out of there!" Shadow said, then ran down the street. Silver charged after him.

"What? So they can all be free to reproduce even more. They'll just get captured all over again!" Silver called after him.

"We'll find a way to sterilise everyone," Shadow said. "But in a painless way. I'm not letting my children and grandchildren suffer in the same way I did. No way!" Shadow yelled. "It's up to you whether you help me or not!"

"Alright I'll help!" Silver yelled. Shadow stopped. Silver skidded to a halt, going further than Shadow accidentally. He turned around to look at the dark hedgehog.

"You know this time and place better than I do. Find someone who's willing to do the research," Shadow said. "And… I'll break everyone from the Concentration Camp."

"Got it!" Silver said, then ran the opposite way to Shadow. The dark hedgehog turned the corner and went into the dark alley. He smashed through the door.

"What the-"

"It's me!" Shadow yelled. "And I need your help." Dozens of red and black hedgehogs looked at Shadow in surprise and confusion. "You all have use of chaos control. Something useful for what I need done."

"Why should we do anything for you?" a female yelled, stepping forward. Shadow had a feeling it was the same one from before. "You're a complete asshole."

"It's to save everyone in the concentration camps. I was taken there…" Shadow said. "So I know the location, the set up, everything."

There was a mixture of gasps and chatters from the crowd.

"You escaped? But that's impossible," the girl said.

"And you think I'm lying about this!?" Shadow snapped. "Come on! Help me! We need to do this!"

"We'll help," said the girl. "If you can answer me something." Shadow nodded his head. "What's my name?" Shadow's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak, but his mind was blank. "You don't even care. Why should we believe that you actually care?"

Shadow fell to his knees.

"There's too many of you for me to remember all of your names," Shadow said. "And I'm sorry I never learned them while there was a small enough number to remember." A silence fell upon the room. "Please. This is for the others. Not me. I'm already sterilized. I can't be saved. But they can."

"Sterilized?" a few of the hedgehogs said in surprised.

"I'll tell you everything. Just listen… with an open mind. And… help me."


	8. Chapter 8

"Okay, Sarah," Shadow said.

"Serene," the girl corrected. Shadow's mouth twitched into a nervous smile.

"Yes. Serene," he said. "Of course…" He looked straight at her again. "As soon as umm…."

"Haze," Serene said dryly.

"Haze…" Shadow said, looking up in thought. "As soon as he returns, it's your turn to go in."

"Because you've stopped time in that area?" Serene asked. Shadow nodded.

"Yes. No risk of getting caught," Shadow assured.

"Because that would would make you even worse of a father. If anything happened to us," Serene said. Shadow nodded.

"I know. I wouldn't let you all do this if-"

FLASH!

"Ha- He… Hanz?"

"HAZE!" Serene yelled.

"Yes, Haze," Shadow said, looking at the hedgehog that just appeared. Five red and black hedgehogs stood behind him. "It's your turn now," Shadow said to Serene. "And you go and take them to see Silver," he nodded at Haze.

Haze led the five hedgehogs through a door at the back of the room, while Serene teleported away.

"Everything's running smoothly," Shadow said. "But someone's going to have to take over soon. I'm running low on energy. Damn inhibitor rings. I need them back."

"I'll take over… Dad," one of the hedgehogs in the room said. Shadow nodded. They teleported in, and then out of the room within a few seconds. "Alright. I have the area frozen."

Shadow sighed, letting himself relax.

"I'm going in there," he said. "To find those inhibitor ring. That have to have kept them."

"Isn't that risky?" Someone asked.

"No. The place is frozen in time," Shadow said bluntly. "Keep up." He teleported.

Shadow found himself in the lab that he once was before. The humans were stood at the side of the room, working at the counter. Most likely working on that sterilisation technique. But they were absolutely still.

The hedgehog began looking through all of the drawers. There was no sign of the inhibitor rings. There were some cupboards that were positioned behind the humans. The hedgehog wanted to avoid that at all costs, but, the situation had called for it. Shadow sheepishly crouched down and attempted to open the cupboard and reach into it without touching the human in front of it. He couldn't move them or touch them in a way they'd notice. He didn't want them to get suspicious of his presence, or the escape operation. Shadow opened the cupboard door, but it wouldn't go wide enough for him to get a proper look.

"Damn it," he cursed and pulled himself out and sat on the floor with his arms folded in a huff. "Maybe they're not in here."

"What in the-"

Shadow looked up to see that the humans were moving again. His eyes widened when he realised that someone must have messed up their Chaos Control. Shadow jumped to his feet and leapt backwards, looking at the humans defensively. He ducked as one of them took out a gun and shot it at the hedgehog. Shadow formed a Chaos Spear and put his arm out, ready to throw it.

"Give me the inhibitor rings!" he yelled.

"And why would we want to just give it to you?" one of the humans asked. Shadow grit his teeth.

"Because-" The spear fizzled out and Shadow held his head as he felt it spin. "C-Chaos Control," he said desperately. It was time to get out of there, but he had no energy left. "Damn."

BANG!

Shadow fell onto the floor with a thud.

He awoke to see the humans stood over him, about to grab him. They were frozen.

"Thank Chaos…" Shadow said, holding his head in pain. He got up out of the puddle of green blood that had formed under his skull. "I'm going to have a strong word with those…" Shadow began angrily, then sighed in defeat. "There's no point in yelling at them for a mistake." He walked back over to the cupboards, they were free for him to look through. "THERE!" he yelled, feeling a strong breeze of relief rush through him. He snatched the four large rings from a box in the bottom of the cupboard and clicked them around his wrists. No sign of his shoes and gloves, however. He looked to the cupboard next to it.

BANG!

Shadow felt a sharp pain in his chest, then slumped over.

"Messed up twice?" he rasped.

"This is getting really suspicious," one of the humans said. Shadow tried to move, but felt paralyzed by the hole in his chest.

"I'm going to check on the hedgehogs. One of them might have found a way around the anti-Chaos chips," one of them said. If getting shot in the chest didn't get rid of Shadow's relief, then that definitely would.

"NO!" he yelled and pushed himself up. He formed another spear in his hand, but it quickly fizzled out. "Damn! My energy isn't back yet."

One of the humans rushed out of the room. The hedgehog pushed himself to his feet and stumbled towards the door. But one of the other humans easily stopped him by standing in the hedgehog's way and giving him a firm push. The hedgehog stumbled backward, hitting the floor with his back, causing a painful thud. Shadow choked out a throatful of green blood upon impact, and shut his eyes tightly in agony. He lay there, stomach twisting in fear and guilt, unable to do anything. For the meantime anyway.

The human ran back into the room.

"Yes! Some of the containers are empty!"

There was a chorus of gasps.

"NO!" Shadow yelled, glowing red. A small blast erupted in a radius around him. The humans were thrown back against the wall with minor burns and bruises. But Shadow's energy didn't do much. And to make matters worse, he blacked out yet again.

When he opened his eyes once more, the humans were frozen in place. Trying to leave the room one by one.

"C-can't… take… chances…" Shadow said, getting up dizzily. He formed a spear in his hand, but it fizzled out again. he grit his teeth and looked to the counter at the side of the room, and spotted scalpel among the many tools. He picked it up, metal scraping against the surface as it was swiped away. He was about to jump up and swipe the humans in the neck when he noticed the guns in their hands. Shadow sighed in relief and threw the sharp tool into the corner of the room and snatched a gun from a human.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Five shots. Blood spurted from their skulls, but their bodies stayed still in their current positions. Shadow went over to tap them, but before he could lay his hands on the humans, they all slumped to the floor.

"Done…" he sighed and dropped the gun before stumbling out of the room. "Need help…" he said as he scuffled down the corridor. "If only I had a Chaos Emerald."

"Dad? What are you doing here?"


	9. Chapter 9

"Why do you call me that?" Shadow rasped. "As if I actually had some kind of relationship with you." He looked at the black and red hedgehog who looked at his father in surprise and confusion. "I don't even know your name."

"It's…"

"Save it. I won't remember," Shadow said, then grabbed his head in pain. His legs wobbled, almost collapsing under his weight. "Body can't take much more." He dropped to the floor.

"Much more what? What's happened?" the other hedgehog ran over to him.

"I've been shot too many times. I need to recover," Shadow said. "I'm healed for the most part but… it's drained me. Completely."

"I'll get you out of here, Dad," they said, crouching down beside him.

"Stop calling me that! I'm not-"

"You are!" they yelled. "And you need to accept that!" Shadow looked away in shame. "You're already half way there. You're feeling guilt for being so useless to us in the past. I can tell." Shadow nodded at this. "I'll get you out of here, so you can get some rest."

…

"Stop being so deluded. He doesn't care about us! He doesn't even know any of our names!" a female yelled.

"Oh yeah!? Well, he can learn!" a male yelled back. "I'm sure he wants to. It's just kind of hard since there's over 50 of us!"

Shadow winced at the pain this loud argument was causing his head.

"Serene's right," Shadow said. The girl looked at Shadow, anger still obvious on her face.

"SEE!? He knows your name!" the male yelled.

"Only because I MADE him learn it," she said. "Stark, look at him." The male did so, giving his father a nervous smile. "He's pathetic."

"No way! He's changed!" Stark yelled.

"Stark…" Shadow mumbled, taking in the name as best as he could. "Seven quills."

"What's that?" Serene stepped towards Shadow overbearingly. Shadow looked up at her.

"Don't mind my musings," Shadow said.

"Look. He's trying his hardest to remember," Stark said, holding his head high in pride, all seven quills swaying as he did so.

"And how do you remember my name?" Serene asked.

"Your strong attitude," Shadow said with a slight smirk.

"See? He likes your personality. Now that's something a father would do," Stark said. "He's getting through. Even though it's really hard for him, considering we all look the same."

"It's true. I have very minor differences to go off of," Shadow said. "So… you have to bare with me." He looked down.

Silver walked into the room.

"Man. I'm exhausted-" He began casually, then looked to Shadow in surprise. "What happened to you!?"

"It's a long story," Shadow said and closed his eyes tiredly.

"How's Tails getting on?" Shadow asked.

"Why do you call him Tails?" Silver asked.

"Because he reminds me of an old ally of mine called Tails," Shadow said.

"And he can't remember his actual name, because he's an asshole," Serene said. Shadow couldn't deny it. "He could show a bit more respect for someone who's helped him this much."

"Helped _us_ ," Shadow corrected. "This isn't for me. This is for everyone."

"'Tails'," Silver interrupted, air quoting the name, "Is doing just fine. He's managed to administer the treatment to everyone that's entered that door."

"Good. Let's hope it works," Shadow said. "And then GUN will have no reason to come after us." He looked down in guilt, feeling unsure about it. He killed the humans in the lab. Would he be hunted for the murders he'd committed? That didn't matter for now. What mattered was getting everyone to freedom.

…

Shadow was back to full strength within a week. By then, the camps were emptied and many of the sterilisation treatments administered. Of course, they had to upsize in that time. They had several 'Tails' working on the treatment to move it along. There were thousands of hedgehogs to deal with after all. There was a long waiting list. But, it seemed to be under way.

"All thanks to you, Dad," Stark said.

"Nope," Serene said before Shadow could even accept the compliment.

"What?" Stark said.

"We could have done all of this without him," Serene said firmly. "He didn't even do the work. He just sat here and bossed us about. Yeah, it was his plan, but we would have come up with it eventually."

Shadow didn't look bothered at all by this criticism, but Stark did, strangely enough.

"You'll never accept him, will you?" Stark asked. Serene shook her head stubbornly. Stark looked at Shadow in exasperation.

"It's up to her whether she accepts me or not. I don't want to force anything," Shadow said. "Your mother was the red one, wasn't she?" He looked at Serene inquisitively. The girl glared at Shadow in anger.

"Yes," she said. "Any idea what her name was?"

"Not a clue," Shadow said honestly.

"Asshole," Serene said, storming off. Shadow smirked at the back of her, unable to shake the feeling that this girl was actually warming up to him. Shadow was certainly warming up to her, and her fiery attitude, just like her mother.

Shadow took a few moments outside the large building they'd occupied from a powerful supporter. Silver joined him outside.

"Who'd have thought that the robotnik family of all people would help us out?" Silver asked.

"It doesn't surprise me at all," Shadow said. "I don't know why you're surprised."

"I don't know what you're not," Silver said.

"I was created by a robotnik," Shadow said. "I suppose they saw this is their responsibility."

"After all this time?" Silver said. "They could have stepped up sooner."

"Yes," Shadow said. "If you'd gone to the them sooner." Silver silently gave Shadow a glare, but it was nothing compared to the deadly ones Shadow could give. "We'd have this place sooner. And their help would have arrived by now. A week, they said. A week from now. Which would have been today, if you'd gone to them a week ago." Shadow felt himself getting lifted off of the ground. "Woah!" He looked down at the ground, which seemed to be getting smaller. Silver then walked inside, leaving Shadow to float several feet off of the ground, unable to move. "Silver!" he yelled. He peered inside to see Serene passing Silver a bill of money. "She put you up to this!? SILVER!" The door closed behind him, leaving Shadow to float outside alone.

THE END


End file.
